Hewitt expecting Aussies to rebound from Davis debacle

MELBOURNE - Shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt said his young Davis Cup team will be better for their heart-breaking semifinal loss to Belgium and backed it to bounce back quickly from the disappointment.

Chasing its first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles matches in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.

Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title decider, he was still crushed by the defeat.